OAKLAND COUNTY, Michigan – In a sold-out two hour event, OCC celebrated Taiwanese American Heritage Week, part of Asian Heritage Month. The internationally-acclaimed Taiwanese group Formosa Circus Art (FOCA) put on a special one-night-only performance for over 420 community members and international guests at OCC’s Orchard Ridge Smith Theatre on May 4. This was the group's only stop in Michigan.
Spectators watched as Taiwanese-based performers executed acrobatics, stunts, street dance, juggling, drumming and martial arts across the stage.
"The Republic of China - Taiwan (ROC) Overseas Community Affairs Council chooses one group to send to North America each year for a 14-show tour traversing from Detroit to Vancouver to Hawaii. This is OCC's second time hosting for the Detroit-area – this year we were delighted they sent a circus arts group where the average age of performers was only 23 years old. It was really amazing," says Bee Chen, Oakland Community College hostess.
"The program was a fusion of Taiwanese acrobatics and creative performance with Western elements, together with Hakka and Taiwanese aboriginal music and dance which presented a mixture of Taiwanese cultures, both modern and traditional," said Crystal Sanford-Brown, interim Student Engagement coordinator.
About OCC
With multi campus system throughout Oakland County, Oakland Community College offers degrees and certificates in approximately 100 career fields as well as university transfer degrees in business, science and liberal arts. The College provides academic and developmental experiences that allow each student to reach their full potential and enhance the diverse communities they serve. More than 45,000 students annually attend OCC and more than a million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. To learn more about OCC, visit oaklandcc.edu.
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Media Contact: Bridget M. Kavanaugh | Marketing & Communications | (248) 341-2020 | bmkavana@oaklandcc.edu